A new schedule for copper chemical speciation analysis in soil and water sediment

The speciation of heavy metals is very important to evaluate their environmental impact. This issue has become an interested topic many decades ago and many significative studies were carried out such as direct detecting, calculation with mathematical model represented in recent years as well as Tessier＇s work in 1979, BCR＇s work in 1993, etc. In all of them, the methods recommended by Tessier and BCR are most often used in practical study today. But it should be seen that experimental schedule and agents define these methods including BCR＇s method, which improved on Tessier＇s method, only. In many cases, there always are deviations between analytical results and real content of the speciation. Otherwise, steps of the extraction experiment are always strict and excessive in the experimental process. The method, which is fitting to extract the speciation of bioavailability and easy to assess the effect of metals in the environment, is very anticipant. In this paper, the sequential three steps schedule of speciation analysis of copper in soil and water sediment is discussed as an example based on the comparative results of experimental analysis with the schedules of BCR＇s （mended by Rauret et al. in 1999） and TDPA （diethylenetriamine pentacetic acid） extraction, respectively. The results from sequential three steps method and other methods recommended by prevenient work suggest that the analytical schedule of sequential three steps of separating speciation （the speciation of easy effect to life-form, the speciation available to life-form, and the speciation of no effect to life-form） is valuable for copper speciation analysis in soil and sediment. Because of easy process and saving time to evaluate its availability for life form,     

Comparison of components and distribution of heavy metals in sediments, suspended particulate matter and surface coatings in natural waters

Solid phases, such as surface coatings （SC）, suspended particulate matter （SPM） and deposited sediments （DS）, contribute to the pool of heavy metals in natural waters. Their existing and forming conditions lead to potential differences in enrichment capacity of pollutants, chemical compositions and crystals. In this study, the contents of heavy metals in SC, SPM and DS were determined by GF-AAS after digestion with a mixture of concentrated HNO3 and HClO4. The selective extraction method was employed to remove Fe, Mn oxides and organic matters and associated heavy metals （Cu, Pb, Zn）. X-ray diffraction analyses were performed to characterize the crystals in the samples. The results showed that no significant difference in the contents of Fe-oxides in DS, SPM and SC was found, but the contents of Mn-oxides and organic matter follow the order of SC〉SPM〉DS. The significant crystal characters were observed in DS, SPM and SC, and the kinds of minerals and crystallization degree follow the order of DS〉SC〉SPM. In addition, quartz was the most important matter of crystals in the solid phases. Enrichment capacity follows the order of SPM〉SC〉DS for Pb, Cu and Zn. Organic matter was the major sorbent for Cu, and Mn oxides and organic matter played an important role in the enrichment of Zn. However, Pb was absorbed mainly by Fe oxides. Moreover, compared with Fe oxides and organic matter, Mn oxides had a great enrichment capacity for these metals. Although DS, SPM and SC were formed in the same water system, contents of chemical components, crystals and enrichment capacities to heavy metals were obviously different.     

Influence of the environmental behavior and ecological effect of cropland heavy metal contaminants by CO2 enrichment in atmosphere

Recently, the impacts of increasing atmospheric CO2 level on the terrestrial ecological system have been intensively studied. The higher the CO2 concentration, the higher the risk of destabilizing vulnerable carbon pool on ecological safety. Metabolism, biomass, activity, and diversity of microbial communities in soils can be significantly altered by the CO2 enrichment. For instance, it may accelerate carbonate weathering, vary the rhizospheric exudation, and enhance the amount of available C from the upper soil layer. However, how the CO2 enrichment would influence food safety such as species transformation and bioavailability of heavy metals in soils is remained unanswered. The bioavailability of heavy metals is strongly affected by bio-factors in addition to the physiochemical conditions of soils. Different physiological mechanisms and states control plant uptake of heavy metals. The enrichment of CO2 influences physiological functionalities of plants, and in turn, is expected to have impacts on the bioaccumulation of pollutants and the stress adjustment system of plants. Currently, in China soil is heavily polluted, in most cases, combined by organic pollutants and heavy metals. Studies of the environmental behavior and ecological effect of Cu in soil under elevated CO2 levels were conducted in China FACE （Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment） from June to October 2005 using pot experiments. Results showed that the accumulation of Cu and Cd in leaves, stems, roots, and grains of rice growing in Cu contaminated soils was significantly lowered, indicating that the bioavailability of heavy metals in soils decreases with increasing CO2 concentration.     

Textural and mineralogical evidence for a Cadomian tectonothermal event in the eastern Mediterranean (Sandıklı-Afyon area, western Taurides, Turkey)

In the Sandıklı-Afyon area, the very low-grade metamorphic Sandıklı Basement Complex with clastic sediments and Late Neoproterozoic felsic igneous rocks are unconformably overlain by a cover succession with red continental clastic rocks, tholeiitic basalts and siliciclastic rocks with Early Cambrian trace fossils. Illite crystallinity studies reveal that both the basement and cover units were metamorphosed at high anchizonal to epizonal conditions ( 300 °C). Textural data together with the detailed evaluation of the P–T–b₀ grid, however, indicate that this thermal event has multiple phases. The first tectonothermal event was realized at pressures of  4.2 kb on the basis of b₀-data and resulted in development of blastomylonites. This is supported by the presence of dynamo-metamorphosed pebbles within the basal conglomerates of the Lower Paleozoic cover series. The second event is post-Ordovician–pre-Jurassic in age, occurred at lower pressures  3.2 kb and produced a weakly developed cleavage in the siliciclastic rocks of the cover. The mineralogical/textural data across the basement-cover boundary therefore indicate the removal of an entire metamorphic zone and thus a metamorphic hiatus.

These data suggest that the Taurides were affected by a Late Neoproterozoic event as part of the peri-Gondwana during the Cadomian orogeny.     

Heavy metal and arsenic distributions in soils surrounding Palapye, Botswana： An evaluation of environmental impact of coal mining and combustion in a sub-arid region

Coal is an important natural resource in Botswana. The best coals so far found occur in the Morupule coalfield, west of Palapye, where nearly 8000 million tons have been identified （Carney et al., 1994）. In this study we investigate the environmental impact of the mining and consumption of the high-ash, medium-calorific value bituminous coal in the eastern part of Botswana, which may serve as a reference for other coal mines and coal-based power stations around the globe. More than two hundred surface soil samples and three profile soil samples were collected around Morupule Colliery, Morupule Power Station and Palapye.     

Enrichment of Cd and Pb and associations with grain size in sediments in Nanjing alluvial island of Yangtze River

Intermittence belts of metal contaminated sediment have been formed along the urban riverside of the Yangtze River because of rapid urbanization and industrial development during the last three decades. Baguazhou Island, the third alluvial island in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, was chosen to assess the contaminations level of Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn in suspended particulate matter （SPM）, recent sediments and sediment-derived soils. The relations between the metal concentrations and the grain size distributions in sediments were analyzed in order to explore the association of heavy metal settling with sediment deposition. The results showed that significantly high levels of Cd and Pb in SPM dominated enrichment factors （EFs） of recent sediments in the area of Baguazhou Island. High levels of Cd and Pb were found both in the riverine sediments and in the soils. However, the average levels of Cd and Pb in sediments were almost as twice as those in soil. About 43% of all sediment samples have EFCd≥1.5 and 14% with EFCd≥2. There are about 21% of the samples with EFPb≥1.5 and none of them has EFPb≥2. Meanwhile, soil samples with EFCd≥1.5 account for 39% of all 64 samples and no one with EFPb≥1.0. Most of the sediment samples contain more than 80% of fine grains lower than 60 μm in size, and few samples located in the site where flow eroding process dominates contain fine grains lower than 30%. Correlation analysis indicated that the concentrations of Cd and Pb in the sediments have significant relationships with grain size.     

Combining forms of heavy metal elements in Dianshan Lake sediments and their spatial and temporal variations

Dianshan Lake is one of the important water supply sources for Shanghai City. The contents of heavy metals in the sediments are obviously higher than those in the overlying water body. The contents of Pb in the sediments vary seasonally; with increasing depth, the contents of Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr and Fe show no variation generally, but Mn varies in the peak pattern. Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr and Fe in the sediments are present predominantly in sludge phase, but iron and manganese oxide form of Pb and organic matter-sulfide form of Cu are their respective preferential combining forms. Manganese is present largely in exchangeable form, iron-manganese oxide combined form and sludge form. The contents of the various forms of Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr and Fe tend to vary with changing season and depth. The contents of exchangeable forms of Fe and Mn vary with depth in the peak-like pattern.     

Calibration of Four Species of Tillandsia as Air Pollution Biomonitors

Many organisms have been used as bioindicators of atmospheric contamination, with moss and lichen species being the most common. However, studies using epiphytic vascular species of Tillandsia have shown a good correlation between the presence of pollutants and the bioindicator's response. Therefore, the aim of our investigation was to calibrate and compare the response of four Tillandsia species of Argentina to ascertain whether they could be used as atmospheric contamination biomonitors. For this, we analysed the correlation between the levels of heavy metals in total atmospheric deposition samples and: a) their rate of enrichment; b) the physiological response of the plant samples. Tillandsia samples collected from a non contaminated area in the province of Córdoba were transplanted to four areas in the capital city with different sources of pollution (industrial or traffic emissions). They were exposed for a period of 3 to 6 months after which the concentrations of Pb, Ni, Fe, Zn, Cu and S as well as the physiological parameters of foliar damage were determined. Simultaneously samples of total atmospheric deposition were also taken.The highest level of metal enrichment was found in T. capillaris followed by T. tricholepis, T. permutata and T. retorta. Also, the use of a foliar damage index proved to be effective and could be a useful tool to evaluate different levels of atmospheric quality in these species. The rate of heavy metal deposition was higher in the industrial area for all metals except for Zn whose values were higher in areas with high levels of traffic.     

江都市土壤重金属分布特征及污染评价

江都市土壤重金属含量分布及污染现状评价结果显示,江都市土壤环境质量总体良好,但局部地区土壤污染严重,其中通扬运河以北地区土壤环境质量优于通扬运河以南地区。土壤中镉、汞、锌含量空间分布不均匀,局部土壤含量超过国家土壤二级标准,由点源污染所致,其中镉、汞为江都市土壤主要致污染因子,导致局部土壤严重污染。建议对不同污染程度土壤土地采取不同利用方式,需进行合理调整规划。     

东风低空急流暴雨的中尺度分析

东风低空急流暴雨在湖北比较少见。使用卫星云图、武汉多普勒雷达资料和地面中尺度资料，针对2004年6月4～5日发生在湖北中东部地区的一次东风低空急流暴雨过程进行了中尺度分析，得到：（1）东风低空急流暴雨是在有利的大尺度背景场条件下，在特定的地域触发产生的；（2）东风低空急流在暴雨的形成和发展中起到重要的作用；（3）东风低空急流暴雨是由中尺度回波团和中尺度复合体造成的；（4）东风低空急流暴雨是在多种尺度天气系统相互作用的情况下发生发展的，而中小尺度系统是其产生的最直接的系统。